Shelach

Pop Quiz: Which group of men between ages 20 and 60 were
exempt from Hashem's decree that the entire generation will die in
the desert?

NO QUESTION
by Rabbi Reuven Semah

"They said to Yehoshua, 'For Hashem has given all the land into
our hands'" (Yehoshua 2:24 - this week's haftarah)

In our perashah, we learn of the group of Israelites who are
sent on a mission to spy out the land of Israel and report back to
Moshe. They go on their mission. However, they return with a
report of gloom and doom. They insist that the land is
unconquerable. The nation agrees; Hashem decrees; this generation
will not enter the land. In the haftarah we see a repeat story.
Yehoshua sends spies. Spies return with an optimistic report - the
land is ours! It's worth studying and finding the key difference
between these two groups.

Rabbi Abraham Twerski tells about the previous generation
that came to America. At that time there were no jobs without
working on Shabbat. The people would be hired and work until
Friday, not show up on Shabbat, and get fired on Monday. This
would happen week after week. There are stories of people in our
community that would be peddlers and gain very little money in
order not to work on Shabbat. What gave these people such great
strength? It was that they never for one moment thought of
breaking the Shabbat. It never entered their minds for a second.

The spies that Moshe sent went with an attitude to see
whether they would enter the land or not. But the spies of
Yehoshua never had such a question. To enter the land was
Hashem's will. it wasn't a question of if they should enter the land,
but only a question of how to enter the land. If a person's mind is
locked in the positive achievement of his goal, the negative side
never enters his mind.

We all have the strength to be as strong as the spies of
Yehoshua. It's important to know your strength in order not to
underestimate your abilities and this way you will ensure your
success. I once saw a great motto from Ohr Samayach that we can
always use: Don't put a question mark where Hashem placed a
period! Shabbat Shalom.

WHAT'S IN A LETTER?
by Rabbi Shmuel Choueka

When Moshe sent the twelve spies into the land, he changed
his student's name from Hoshea to Yehoshua by adding a letter Yud
to his name. The Rabbis tell us he took the letter Yud from the
name of Sarah, our Matriarch, whose name was originally Sarai,
and so the Yud from her name went to Yehoshua. What is the
symbolism behind this message?

Sarah was the one who told Abraham to drive Yishmael out
from the house because she saw him as a negative influence on her
son, Yitzhak. Hashem agreed with Sarah and commanded
Abraham to listen to Sarah. Here too, the lesson is that if
Yehoshua wants to be the one to conquer and distribute the land to
the Jewish people, he must remove all negative influences from
their environment. To establish a proper community, we must be
on guard that only positive and proper lessons be instilled within us
and our children. That is the legacy of Sarah Imenu and that is
what Yehoshua was to follow in setting up the land of Israel!
Shabbat Shalom.

A PRECISE CALCULATION

"[The spies] were all distinguished men, heads of the Children of
Israel"

Rashi says: At that hour they were honorable and righteous.
(Bemidbar 13:3)

Why does Rashi say "at that hour" and not just "at that
time?"

The spies toured Israel for a period of forty days and
brought back a negative report which caused intense hysteria. For
this sin, the people were punished to wander in the wilderness for
forty years - one year per day.

A day consists of 24 hours, and in forty days there is a total
of 960 hours. Also, in a year there are twelve months, and thus in
forty years there are 480 months. Hence, for each hour of the spies'
tour, the stay of the Jews in the wilderness was increased by half of
a month. The Jews left Egypt on the fifteenth of Nisan and arrived
in Israel forty years later on the tenth of Nisan. The normal travel
time from Egypt to Israel should have taken eleven days (Debarim
1:2). Consequently, the forty year punishment was in reality short
fifteen days.

Hence, Rashi is puzzled by the missing fifteen days and
proposes the answer that "ve'otah sha'ah- for that hour" - they were
honorable, and therefore the community at large was spared fifteen
days of wandering in the wilderness. (Vedibarta Bam)

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